Jhumpura: A Union government project that is coming up here in Keonjhar district has left an adverse impact on silk culture in the area.
The project work has come at a time when restoration of the building of Jhumpura Tussar Society is being carried out.
Besides, hundreds of arjun trees planted by the sericulture department at Dhanurjaypur in Kandarapasi panchayat to push silk culture have been chopped down, leaving the farmers high and dry.
Locals said arjun trees were felled to make space for a boundary wall of the project.
According to reports, scores of people have been growing silk at Kasia and Balabhadrapur under Jhumpura block and Rengalabeda, Dhanurjaypur, Silisuan, Kalisui and Kurdiahi under Sadar block for generations.
In order to boost sericulture, a tussar society was set up here to provide silkworms, necessary equipment and technical knowhow to farmers.
Farmers used to sell cocoons to the society, but a few years ago silkworm supply was stopped, leaving the farmers in the lurch.
Oriya daily Dharitri came out with a report in this regard in 2015, after which the government took up revival of the tussar society.
Thousands of arjun trees had been planted over 50 acres of land in Nayagada reserve forest near Dhanurjaypur. Lakhs of rupees were spent towards protection and maintenance of the trees in 1995-96.
“This is the biggest plantation in the area,” said sericulture officer Sadananda Behera.
“Arjun plants had grown well enough to support silkworms. Sadly, plantation over 10 acres of land had been chopped off for the project,” rued several farmers like Kailash Nayak, Chema Nayak, Debananda Nayak, Saiba Munda, Kandra Munda and Nabina Munda.
In that place, a huge and winding boundary wall has been raised, but people have no idea about the project being put in place.
“There is no information plaque about the project at the place. What we hear is that it is a project of the Central government- possibly a driving training institute,” the farmers said.
What is most surprising is though the tree cutting went on for two years, the tehsil administration was not aware of this.
Revenue inspector of Palaspangi, Duagaprasanna Gadnayak, said he has no idea about the place while Jumpura tehsildar SK Ray said IDCO has acquired 25 acres of land.
On the other hand, P Senapati, an IDCO official, said that the officials of IDCO at Jajpur Road might have known all this.
More surprising was the observation of Ramesh Chandra Mahapatra, the additional director of sericulture office at Keonjhar. “I have only heard of arjun tress having been felled. Let me see what has happened there,” he said casually. PNN
